Fireflies and Snowflakes
by randomadorablepikachu
Summary: Zexion just wants to start over. But his past continues to haunt him, through every unspoken word, every feeling denied. He remember when their fingers entwined, and her word was so innocent and pure. If only they could have stayed that way... If only she never found out. He may never escape. But someone wants to help him, whether he wants them to or not. (Zemyx)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi all! It's Neko-chan! Sorry I haven't been active in forever. I picked up the Kingdom Hearts franchise recently! and suddenly my pokemon story ideas didn't seem so important. I had to do Zemyx. It's, like, a necessity. I'm supposed to be working on a short story for homework (a different one, obviously) but guess what? I. DON'T. CARE. :D**

**This will be a multi-chapter fic. I plan to separate it into... arcs? sections? ummm... anyway, it's seasonally based. autumn. winter. spring. summer. **

**I came up with this idea, intending to write a one-shot about summer, and all of a sudden a world was born. this will probably be pretty long. I really hope I keep with it. I have a tendency to drop stories in the middle...**

**Oh, and thanks to Zenelly for planting the idea of a semi-mute Zexion into my head. If you haven't read Silence is Golden, go do so, now. There's other good stories by her, but that is my absolute FAVORITE. And, hi jojo22outtheregirl, if you hadn't been so excited about my idea, I wouldn't be uploading right now. **

**Pretty much no idea where this will go, hoping for the best!**

**DISCLAIMER: if you think I could possibly own Kingdom Hearts, or any other franchise for that matter, you are completely insane. I wish I could. Sadly, I am just a high school shut in with an obsession with yaoi and complicated plots. And bishies. O.O**

**On with the story!**

**_(-`o`-)( v )( ``, )_||\(.o ^ o.)/||_( ,``)( v )(-`o`-)_**

The glass window shuddered as the red pickup truck hit yet another bump in the road. This wouldn't have been so alarming if they were driving on ground level; however, they happened to be crossing over a very, very small ledge as they navigated the spiraling mountain paths. Despite his palpable anxiety, evident by the whitened knuckles protruding through the pale-skinned, bony fingers clutching his novel tightly and the slight tremor coursing through the hand that clutched the packing tape of one of the boxes, Zexion felt a small twitch of a half-formed smile flicker across his lips. He didn't like being stuffed in the mini-trunk with thirteen large, heavy, precariously stacked boxes. He liked it even less as the bobbed across the gravel road and whipped up and down the small hills speckling the sides of each mountain, but at the same time, he was slightly happy. Something about the sea of greenery, something about the lack of cities, something was intriguing.

The air here was just so… _clean_.

A shrill cackle pierced his ears, despite the blaring of Papa Roach pounding through his headphones, and with that the almost-grin was gone. His cobalt eyes flashed a dangerous shade of indigo, shuddering like waves beneath the deep murky ocean, and he met his sister's dangerously amused, malevolent gaze evenly. She tapped the side of her head, pouting dramatically, wiggling her eyebrows cutely. Her threatening gaze still shimmered with delight. He turned down his headphones so he could hear her voice, flicking his hand- his pinky and ring finger still entwined in the packing tape- in a rolling motion, gesturing for her to continue. She flicker her blonde antennae-like spikes dramatically, smiling so only a few of her pearly white almost-fangs glistened in the light. "So… you enjoying your ride?" Larxene's voice seemed to be laughing at him; damned girl had experience in the mountains.

Zexion's eyes flashed with the same amusement that flickered in his older sibling's harsh, almost-evil gaze. He placed his book so it was tucked under his leg, open to his current page, and signed with his right hand, '_Oh yes, so sweet of you to ask, dear Larxie. It doesn't bother me in the slightest that we were almost flung off a cliff while I'm stuck in the back, with no seatbelt or any form of protection, among boxes of heavy luggage that Mom knows quite well should have gone in a moving van. Your concern is touching, really.'_

"Yeah, I bet. You really are a dork, Zee." Larxene rolled her eyes, "Mom knows what she'd doing. We've been here plenty of times before."

Zexion huffed and turned his music back on high. Oh, Linkin Park was on. He shifted his gaze back toward the pale green, somewhat yellowing greenery rushing by as they maneuvered through Appalachia. He didn't notice he had dozed off until he felt the truck stop abruptly, subsequently throwing him roughly into the back of the leather seats. He groaned loudly in response, the action causing his abused vocal chords to flare up painfully, and another coughing fit wracked his body. Shaking the dizziness that washed over him away, he concentrated on breathing. In, out, in, out. This time when his cobalt eyes met Larxene's, his sister's had flared in worry, though upon seeing him calm down, they softened. The blaring music had become white noise in his head, so Zexion turned the iPod off completely, rubbing his sore temples methodically. He sighed and met Larxene's gaze again, and she smiled a bit. "Jesus…" She shook her head slowly, "Stop worrying us, brat."

He laughed quietly, shrugging and signing an awkward _'Sorry…'_ before leaning back against the box. His mother had turned around to check on him, but before she could get a word in edgewise, a horn blared, and she turned back to the now-green stoplight.

"Oh!" His mom shouted in delight. "Larxie, honey, we're almost home!"

"Yeah!" His sister slapped the box behind her and pointed at a small neighborhood tucked just beneath the base of a mountain, elevated slightly above the rest of the valley. "That's where me and Mom lived 'til I was eight!" When she whipped around to face him again, her eyes had lit up in pure glee- a rare thing to see out of the icy Larxene. Zexion couldn't help but smile a bit: when she smiled like that, it was contagious. "And now we get to bring my new baby brother!"

Once again Zexion huffed, rolling his eyes. He quickly signed,_ 'Not a baby, we met when I was eleven, stupid.'_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm three years older, so you're a baby: an emo, mostly-mute, socially retarded bookworm of a baby. Deal with it." Larxene turned back to the front, watching the houses excitedly. Yes, Zexion was adopted. These two were more of a family than he could ever hope for, and he had them. They rescued him from foster care before he ever left the hospital. When Larxene found out he might never be able to speak comfortably again, she learned sign language even quicker than his new mother. He had already learned, though. But that was another story, one he didn't like to think about. _Fuyumi…_

Zexion sighed, staring at the old sandstone house, or cottage, they were pulling up in front of. It was quaint, and, somehow, warm. It felt, welcoming. Larxene and his mom were already outside; his sister opened his door and dragged him out roughly. "We're here, Zee. You better get unpacking."

_'And you?'_

"You think I'm gonna get my hands dirty when I've got you to do it for me? I'm gonna see if Marly still lives here!" She cackled maniacally, "See ya, Mom!" She then dashed off with a quick wave of her hand, his mother's protests drowned before she even had a chance to speak. The slender woman sighed, running a hand through her dusty blonde bob, and turned to Zexion.

"You'll stay and help, though, right?" Her voice sounded clipped, annoyed, and slightly amused, with a healthy dose of demanding. Her gray eyes were nearly black, her smile a creepy sort of calm. Roughly translated, she meant _"Stay and help unpack or die."_ No arguing with that logic. Zexion nodded, watching her gaze soften, and she patted his shoulder gently. "You're such a good kid." As she hauled out the first box, Zexion shivered- unsure if that resulted from the cool breeze or the growing weight in his chest- gazing fondly at her back.

_I wish that were true, Mom. I really do._

**_(-`o`-)( v )( ``, )_||\(.o ^ o.)/||_( ,``)( v )(-`o`-)_**

**A/N.2: THANKS FOR READING! So that's what I've got right now. I like reviews. Reviews are nice. I want reviews because reviews make me happy. I'll even respond this time! O.O**

**Feel free to criticize, but please, please, please be gentle. I'm still new... ^_^**

**I introduce Dem in the next chapter, don't worry. xD This story needs its bromance.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Wow, it's been too long since I updated. I really need to find my muse. I have all these ideas in my head floating around but for some reason it has been extremely difficult to WRITE THEM! I dunno, sorry for the wait...**

**I wish I could curl up in a cocoon and when I emerged I would be immune to illness, allergies, and phobias! oh, and the world would be made of jello. xD**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, every time Marluxia showed up on screen, harp music would play and flowers would randomly appear. Also, his voice actor would be required to speak in falsetto. And no one would die. Ever. So obviously I should not own it, no matter how much I reeeeeeeeeeally want to make real canon Zemyxness and fluffy sappy cuteness EVERYWHERE! o_o**

Sleep wasn't something that came naturally to Zexion, on a good day he might have gotten 4 hours at most, but this was not a good day. Not that it was a bad day, but being in a foreign place alone in the dark, shadows twisting and turning and dancing as the pale moonlight filtered through the blinds… well he didn't expect to sleep at all. He liked the shadows, so for most of the night he simply watched them morph and flicker as the light slowly moved across the sky. He did dose off eventually, as the sky became slightly brighter indicating morning's approach. He woke again an hour later feeling extraordinarily rested. He stopped questioning his sleep patterns long ago.

Noon found Zexion curled in a blanket with a sketchbook in his lap. Larxene clumsily stumbled out of her room, pausing for a moment to stare at her brother. "Zee…? How long ya been up?" She blinked blearily at him rubbing an eye with her left hand, and yawned.

_'Since about five.' _Zexion signed, stretching his stiff legs and closing his sketchbook. 'It's noon.'

"Oh…" Larxene yawned again, running her fingers through her tangled hair. She hovered by his door for a few minutes, seeming to contemplate going back to bed before her eyes shot open wide. "MARLY SAID HE'D COME OVER AT 1!" And with that, she was gone, tossing clothes around in her room and making more noise than a drunken elephant rampaging in a tool shed. That was actually a pretty amusing idea. Zexion might like to see that, from a safe distance, with a camcorder. "SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

A spastic Larxene dressed in her usual gothic punk attire stomped past his door and down the stairs. Zexion sighed and shook his head, following suit much more quietly. He ran his fingers across the wallpaper; the feeling was pleasurably similar to the pages of old books, and it brought that almost-smile to his face. Briefly, Zexion wondered why he couldn't smile. He used to smile, when he was with Fuyumi he was always smiling, sometimes Vince could make him smile, and even Larxene. He knew it took a long time to get over a death, but still, it'd been three years.

_Blood, blood, so much blood. Is there even that much blood in her body? Dreaming, that's it. Has to be a dream. It hurts, it hurts, it-... No it's not okay. Everything hurts. I was holding her hand… still holding her hand… Just her hand, where's the head? IT CAN'T! Is it really her? Is it? Mommy…why did you… I'll be good, I promise, don't hurt her! …Why can't I breathe anymore? Mommy? I'm sorry, I swear… Mommy? MOMMY?! _

"Zee, you alright?" Zexion blinked, breathing hard; he was still in the house in Pennsylvania, he was safe, it was alright. He rubbed his chest, above where his furiously pounding heart was, and concentrated on his breath.

_'Flashback, I'll be alright.' _He signed shakily. Larxene stared at him with concern for a moment longer, before shrugging and returning to the kitchen. About five minutes later, and she was gnawing on a piece of toast and pulling on her thigh high black army boots, and Zexion was sipping on some bitter green tea, having already eaten his breakfast, or, considering the time, lunch.

"You know, you could come with us. Mom won't be home 'til late, and I'm sure Marly won't mind. You wouldn't want to be alone if you had another…" Worry did not suit his Larxene. Zexion's heart ached knowing he was the cause. Someone like him…

_'I don't get them much, Larxie, I'll be fine. Stop worrying so much. Go have fun with your boy toy!'_ Zexion smirked as she half-choked on her toast, the few crumbs that were left tumbling to the floor as she lunged at him.

"HE IS NOT MY BOY TOY! HE'S MY MINION!" Larxene screeched, kicking Zexion's chair out from under him. Oh but he was always one step ahead; he jumped nimbly onto the table, avoiding her attempts to gouge out his innards with a butter knife. He knew she's stop if she actually drew blood, but the table did not appreciate being stabbed. He had forgotten how fun it was to tease her. "NOT FAIR! YOU HAVE FORMAL TRAINING!"

_'So do you.'_

"DAMMIT! STAND STILL AND LET ME GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT!"

Marluxia chose that moment to walk in. "My little Lark~ I have come to rescue you from a world of blandness and boredom~" When he saw the state of the room, Marluxia froze, examining the very wrecked kitchen. Zexion stared, wait… was… was that a BOY? Larxene took advantage of his distraction, and managed to cut his cheek, cheering in victory.

_'Your boy toy is a transvestite?'_ Zexion signed, still staring at the pink, very _very_ pink, man –there were so many things wrong with that!

"Sooooooooooorta. See ya later kiddo!" Cackling, Larxene proceeded to drag a very confused Marluxia out the door, while Zexion just watched. He examined the damage on the table, only a few holes, not that bad. She only cracked one plate. Thinking about it, he realized it would have been a lot worse if he hadn't gotten distracted. He did not look forward to cleaning up the damage of any future conflicts. Although he really would like to train more; he hadn't practiced much at all since Vince left, four years back…

When he was in his… situation in his old home, Zexion couldn't defend himself; not to mention his sister. He remembered the time where he was almost kidnapped, Fuyumi was at home, just a toddler, and he was walking to school. He didn't know why he was scooped off the streets, he fought and kicked and screamed, but eventually they knocked him out could. He came to in their truck, but it wasn't moving. There was a crash, the front of the car was on fire, and the men were bleeding. When he was lifted, his first instinct was to fight. He kicked and clawed at his savior, who turned out to be an assassin. Vincent Valentine had been hired to kill the man in the passenger seat, and it would have been a clean death, except the pedophile got his hand on another kid. Zexion.

After hearing about Zexion's abusive home life, Vince spent some time training him. As a kid, he only learned basic skills, but he learned _very quickly_. Vince said he was a prodigy. The next time he saw Vince was when he was 11, and he learned more advanced skills, including knife combat and even hacking. He went on only one mission with Vince, several weeks before his sister was killed and he lost his voice. Vince had vanished by the time he came to.

Zexion didn't actually want to be an assassin, but hey, they were good skills to have. He still sometimes wondered if he'd ever see his mentor again, but he highly doubted it. Especially now that he had moved across the country.

The house was quiet, but it was nice. Sometimes the breeze would make the roof creek, and the sound was comforting. He really could like this place. A feeling of dread shivered in his chest, because whenever something seemed to be going right, something would go wrong.

Always.

**A/N o_o yeah, I'm still working out a few kinks. I kinda know where I want this to go, kinda don't. Hopefully I can find my muse faster this next time. Reviews motivate! *sparklesparkle* SHOUT OUT TO jojo22outtheregirl! I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU! She's mine. o_o**


End file.
